Peter Kogler, Untitled, 2018, a special labyrinth elaborated for the exhibition

The new exhibition at Grand Palais exploring  ties between “Artists and robots” is fun and diverse. It starts with Tinguely and Xenakis, both precursors of this art and takes us all the way with Italian music composer Jacopo Baboni Schillingi who lives with a breathing monitor on his body, that creates images 24/24. A good show to take kids, grandmothers and art lovers.

On top of the stairs I was fascinated to meet Jacopo Baboni Schilingi, a music composer from IRCAM, who has signed a contract with  the “My Air” company whereby he wears a breathing captor 24 hours a day. This sort of belt is connected to his iPhone which transmits, wherever he is in the world, images related to his breathing. This is in connection with the music he composes on the body. It is a pure image of computer and aesthetics relations with the addition of sound. Colors vary on the screen and when he started coughing, it became red!

Jacopo Baboni Shilingi, “Argo”, a visual image of his breathing and coughing

Another interesting artists is Michael Hansmeyer who reproduced the Astana Columns with laser cut cardboard. His algorithms recreate doric columns which are shown here in semi darkness. It is the result of his training as an architect and as computer programmer.

Michael Hansmeyer, detail of an Astana column, cardboard, 2017

There are many robotic painters with little machines drawing on large paper surfaces. Nicolas Shöffer has a cybernetic sculpture which moves slowly, while Swiss artist Jean Tinguely describes his magic sculptures in a film. Arcangelo Sassolino has devised a spider like heavy hydraulic machine which digs the floor of the galleries and Nam June Paik shows “Olympe de Gouges” an anthropomorphic figure with video screens.

Arcangelo Sassolino, Unittled, 200§-2016, a sculpting machine that looks like a spider

Raquel Kogan transfigures visitors with her lights in a dark room, Iannis Xenakis has beautiful drawings, Miguel Chevalier impresses with large projections on the wall. I particularly liked Christa Sommerer and Laurent Mignonneau’s work with “Portrait on the Fly”. They are represented by galerie Charlot in Paris and work around the insect with different medias.

Leonel Moura, Robot art, 2017

Peter Kogler has devised a special labyrinth for the show and Leonel Moura has a pool like floor where his little robots draw all day long. It si all very exhilarating!

Until July 9, at Grand Palais. A delightful moment and great ideas.